Fruits and Vegetables That Don't Spoil Too Fast
By Sara Butler
You know that a balanced diet, full of seasonal fresh fruits and vegetables, is important to your health. But you also know that it seems like every time you buy some, at least some of it goes to waste in your crisper drawer. It’s a constant battle to use up the fresh fruits and veggies in your refrigerator – but there’s a way you can avoid waste and that’s by choosing fresh fruits and veggies that last for a while. Here are a few that won’t spoil too fast.
Apples
Apples should be kept at between 30 and 32 degrees. If you keep them at just 10 degrees higher, they ripen twice as fast. So for your apples to last, you should keep them in a plastic bag in your crisper drawer. You can safely keep them there for weeks, as long as you keep them away from other vegetables. Remember, placing some fruits and vegetables next to each other makes them ripen faster.
Beets
Refrigerating your beets can keep them fresh for two to four months. You just need to prep them by cutting off the greens and putting them in a perforated plastic bag in the crisper. Then take them out and cook them up at your leisure!
Cabbage
Cabbage can last as long as two months wrapped in plastic in the fridge. You can use it in place of lettuce in a salad since most greens used in salads have such a high water content that they wilt in just a few days.
Carrots
If you want to keep your carrots fresh for longer, then keep them dry. Carrots tend to give off a lot of moisture and that will cause them to rot faster. You can try to keep ahead of the moisture by placing a paper town in a plastic bag with the carrots and changing it out when it gets saturated. You can keep carrots fresh this way for weeks or even months!
Garlic
Garlic does best when stored at temperatures between 60 and 65 degrees Fahrenheit. That means a dark kitchen cabinet should be just fine for storage. Whole bulbs can be stored in a paper bag in the refrigerator too – lasting months that way. Just make sure you realize that once garlic has been kept cold, taking it out of the fridge will cause it to sprout.
Eating right doesn't have to waste money if you know how to keep your fruits and vegetables fresh!
To learn more about your health and wellness, see your local chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic in Queen Creek, Ariz.
